Anti-war activists have marched through the streets of Rome to protest the war policies of the US as President Bush arrived in Italy.

George W. Bush, coming from Germany on his European farewell tour, arrived at Rome’s Ciampino airport Wednesday afternoon.

Bush and his motorcade headed toward the US ambassador’s residence in an upscale Rome neighborhood.

Thousands of people gathered in the center of Rome to demonstrate against the US president’s visit.

“We demonstrate against the government of the United States and its war policies, its social, military and environmental crimes around the world but also against the Italian centre-right government which, as the former centre-left one, is allied with the US one, and thus co-responsible of such policy,” said Marco Ferrando, a member of the Communist Party of the Workers who was protesting on Wednesday.